Pressure sensor and display device including the same

• US 10,185,453 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Choi, Sung Min, Kim, Dae Won, Hong, Ik Jun, Park, Han Ki
• Primary Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N
• Application Number:
  US15/646,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20180018045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04164 Connections between sensors and controllers, e.g. routing lines between electrodes and connection pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A pressure sensor including a first conductor located in a pressure sensing region including a first sensing region and a second sensing region; and a second conductor spaced apart from the first conductor, the second conductor forming capacitance with the first conductor. The first conductor includes a first conductive part located in the first sensing region and a second conductive part located in the second sensing region. The area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region is different from the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor comprising:

a first conductor located in a pressure sensing region comprising a first sensing region and a second sensing region; and

a second conductor spaced apart from the first conductor, the second conductor forming capacitance with the first conductor,

wherein;

the first conductor comprises;

a first conductive part located in the first sensing region; and

a second conductive part located in the second sensing region; and

the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region is different from the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region.

2. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein, when the same pressure is applied to each of the first sensing region and the second sensing region, a variation in distance between the first conductive part and the second conductor is different from a variation in distance between the second conductive part and the second conductor.

3. The pressure sensor of claim 2, wherein the variation in distance between the first conductive part and the second conductor is greater than the variation in distance between the second conductive part and the second conductor.

4. The pressure sensor of claim 3, wherein the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region is greater than the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region.

5. The pressure sensor of claim 1, further comprising an elastic member disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor.

6. The pressure sensor of claim 5, wherein, when the same pressure is applied to each of the first sensing region and the second sensing region, a variation in thickness of the elastic member is changed for each of the first sensing region and the second sensing region.

7. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first sensing region is located at the center of the pressure sensing region, and the second sensing region surrounds the first sensing region.

8. The pressure sensor of claim 7, wherein the pressure sensing region has a quadrangular shape.

9. The pressure sensor of claim 8, wherein:

the first sensing region and the second sensing region have quadrangular shapes; and

the pressure sensing region further comprises four third sensing regions respectively contacting sides of the second sensing region and four fourth sensing regions respectively located at corners of the pressure sensing region.

10. The pressure sensor of claim 9, wherein the first conductor further comprises:

third conductive parts respectively located in the third sensing regions; and

fourth conductive parts respectively located in the fourth sensing regions,

wherein the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region, the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region, the area ratio of the third conductive parts with respect to the third sensing regions, and the area ratio of the fourth conductive parts with respect to the fourth sensing regions are different from one another.

11. The pressure sensor of claim 10, wherein the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region, the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region, the area ratio of the third conductive parts with respect to the third sensing regions, and the area ratio of the fourth conductive parts with respect to the fourth sensing regions sequentially increase.

12. The pressure sensor of claim 9, wherein:

each of the fourth sensing regions has a triangular shape comprising a first side, a second side, and a third side connected between the first side and the second side; and

vertexes of the second sensing region contact the third sides of the fourth sensing regions, respectively.

13. The pressure sensor of claim 12, wherein a first side of the second sensing region is parallel to a first side of the first sensing region, and has a length two times greater than that of the first side of the first sensing region.

14. The pressure sensor of claim 13, wherein a first side of the pressure sensing region is parallel to the first side of the first sensing region, and has a length three times greater than that of the first side of the first sensing region.

15. The pressure sensor of claim 7, wherein the pressure sensing region further comprises:

a third sensing region surrounding the second sensing region;

a fourth sensing region surround the third sensing region;

four sixth sensing regions respectively located at the corners of the pressure sensing region; and

four fifth sensing regions located between the fourth sensing region and the sixth sensing regions.

16. The pressure sensor of claim 15, wherein the first conductor further comprises:

a third conductive part located in the third sensing region;

a fourth conductive part located in the fourth sensing region;

fifth conductive parts located in the fifth sensing regions; and

sixth conductive parts located in the sixth sensing regions,

wherein the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region, the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region, the area ratio of the third conductive part with respect to the third sensing region, the area ratio of the fourth conductive part with respect to the fourth sensing region, the area ratio of the fifth conductive parts with respect to the fifth sensing regions, and the area ratio of the sixth conductive parts with respect to the sixth sensing regions are different from one another.

17. The pressure sensor of claim 16, wherein the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region, the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region, the area ratio of the third conductive part with respect to the third sensing region, the area ratio of the fourth conductive part with respect to the fourth sensing region, the area ratio of the fifth conductive parts with respect to the fifth sensing regions, and the area ratio of the sixth conductive parts with respect to the sixth sensing regions sequentially increase.

18. A display device comprising:

a display panel;

a touch sensor located at a first side of the display panel, the touch sensor configured to detect a position of a touch; and

a pressure sensor located at a second side of the display panel opposite the first side, the pressure sensor detecting pressure of the touch,

wherein the pressure sensor comprises;

a first conductor located in a pressure sensing region comprising a first sensing region and a second sensing region; and

a second conductor spaced apart from the first conductor, the second conductor forming capacitance with the first conductor,

wherein the first conductor comprises;

a first conductive part located in the first sensing region; and

a second conductive part located in the second sensing region,

wherein the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region is different from the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region.

19. The display device of claim 18, further comprising a bracket accommodating the display panel, the touch sensor, and the pressure sensor therein.

20. The display device of claim 19, wherein a portion of the bracket comprises the second conductor.

21. The display device of claim 18, wherein, when the same pressure is applied to each of the first sensing region and the second sensing region, a variation in distance between the first conductive part and the second conductor is different from a variation in distance between the second conductive part and the second conductor.

22. The display device of claim 21, wherein the variation in distance between the first conductive part and the second conductor is greater than the variation in distance between the second conductive part and the second conductor.

23. The display device of claim 22, wherein the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region is greater than the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region.

24. The display device of claim 18, further comprising an elastic member disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor.

25. The display device of claim 24, wherein, when the same pressure is applied to each of the first sensing region and the second sensing region, a variation in thickness of the elastic member is changed for each of the first sensing region and the second sensing region.

26. The display device of claim 18, wherein the first sensing region is located at the center of the pressure sensing region, and the second sensing region surrounds the first sensing region.

27. The display device of claim 26, wherein the pressure sensing region has a quadrangular shape.

28. The display device of claim 27, wherein:

the first sensing region and the second sensing region have quadrangular shapes; and

the pressure sensing region further comprises four third sensing regions respectively contacting sides of the second sensing region and four fourth sensing regions respectively located at corners of the pressure sensing region.

29. The display device of claim 28, wherein the first conductor further comprises:

third conductive parts respectively located in the third sensing regions; and

fourth conductive parts respectively located in the fourth sensing regions,

wherein the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region, the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region, the area ratio of the third conductive parts with respect to the third sensing regions, and the area ratio of the fourth conductive parts with respect to the fourth sensing regions are different from one another.

30. The display device of claim 29, wherein the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region, the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region, the area ratio of the third conductive parts with respect to the third sensing regions, and the area ratio of the fourth conductive parts with respect to the fourth sensing regions sequentially increase.

31. The display device of claim 28, wherein:

each of the fourth sensing regions has a triangular shape including a first side, a second side, and a third side connected between the first side and the second side; and

vertexes of the second sensing region contact the third sides of the fourth sensing regions.

32. The display device of claim 31, wherein a first side of the second sensing region is parallel to a first side of the first sensing region, and has a length two times greater than that of the first side of the first sensing region.

33. The display device of claim 32, wherein a first side of the pressure sensing region is parallel to the first side of the first sensing region, and has a length three times greater than that of the first side of the first sensing region.

34. The display device of claim 26, wherein the pressure sensing region further comprises a third sensing region surrounding the second sensing region, a fourth sensing region surrounding the third sensing region, four sixth sensing regions respectively located at the corners of the pressure sensing region, and four fifth sensing regions located between the fourth sensing region and the sixth sensing regions.

35. The display device of claim 34, wherein the first conductor further comprises:

a third conductive part located in the third sensing region;

a fourth conductive part located in the fourth sensing region;

fifth conductive parts located in the fifth sensing regions; and

sixth conductive parts located in the sixth sensing regions,

wherein the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region, the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region, the area ratio of the third conductive part with respect to the third sensing region, the area ratio of the fourth conductive part with respect to the fourth sensing region, the area ratio of the fifth conductive parts with respect to the fifth sensing regions, and the area ratio of the sixth conductive parts with respect to the sixth sensing regions are different from one another.

36. The display device of claim 35, wherein the area ratio of the first conductive part with respect to the first sensing region, the area ratio of the second conductive part with respect to the second sensing region, the area ratio of the third conductive part with respect to the third sensing region, the area ratio of the fourth conductive part with respect to the fourth sensing region, the area ratio of the fifth conductive parts with respect to the fifth sensing regions, and the area ratio of the sixth conductive parts with respect to the sixth sensing regions sequentially increase.